In manufacturing, it’s not just machines that need to run efficiently—your information needs to flow just as smoothly. But when part specs get missed, maintenance tasks fall through the cracks, or teams rely on sticky notes and email threads to track jobs, it can all add up to costly mistakes and wasted time.
According to McKinsey, the average worker spends 28% of their week managing email and nearly 20% hunting for information or colleagues. That’s a lot of lost production time—especially on the factory floor.
So how do you get ahead of it?
Microsoft Planner is a lightweight but powerful task management tool that can help manufacturers stay organized, align departments, and reduce costly oversights. And with help from a local IT partner like TotalCare IT, manufacturers across Idaho—from food processing plants to metal fabrication shops—can set up Planner to fit their workflow perfectly.
If you're dealing with any of these headaches, it's time to look at Planner:
Missed specs or approvals on production orders
Unclear task ownership between maintenance and operations teams
Repeated mistakes due to poor communication
Lack of visibility on who’s doing what—and when
Onboarding gaps for new hires or temps
Planner lets you organize tasks visually, assign responsibilities, and keep everything in one place—accessible from desktops, tablets, or phones, even out on the floor.
Set up dedicated Planner boards for:
Production scheduling
Preventive maintenance
Equipment repairs
Quality control
Safety training
Use columns like To Do, In Progress, and Done to keep everything moving—and visible.
Each task card in Planner can have:
A clear assignee (maintenance, floor supervisor, operator, etc.)
A due date
A priority level
Attached files like SOPs or spec sheets
Comments for updates or clarifications
This ensures nothing slips through the cracks, even if shifts change or roles rotate.
Got recurring jobs like:
Daily equipment inspections
Weekly sanitation
Monthly inventory audits?
Create a Planner template with all the tasks and checklists baked in. Just duplicate the board each time and save hours on setup.
Different teams need different perspectives. Microsoft Planner offers:
Board View for visual thinkers
Grid View for quick sorting and editing
Schedule View to see tasks on a calendar
Timeline View for longer-term projects
People View to check workloads by employee
These flexible views help supervisors keep the big picture in sight while operators focus on today’s tasks.
Because Planner is part of Microsoft 365, it integrates seamlessly with tools your team may already use:
Add task tabs inside Teams channels
Get automatic notifications when tasks are assigned or updated
Flag emails in Outlook to turn them into Planner tasks
Automate alerts and status reports with Power Automate
And now with AI built in via Copilot, you can even auto-generate tasks, get progress updates, and delegate more effectively without all the manual clicks.
Manufacturing companies across Idaho—from Walker Produce in Idaho Falls to Blue Wolf Inc. in Boise—count on TotalCare IT to implement tech that actually makes their jobs easier.
As your IT partner, we’ll help you:
Customize Microsoft Planner for production, maintenance, and admin workflows
Train your staff so they’re confident using it
Set up automation to eliminate manual tracking
Integrate Planner with Teams, Outlook, SharePoint, and more
You don’t have to figure it out alone. We specialize in supporting manufacturers just like you with tech that actually fits your environment.
You’ve optimized your machines—now optimize your task management. Microsoft Planner helps you:
Eliminate paper-based scheduling
Improve accountability across departments
Speed up communication between shifts
Reduce production delays from missing information
It’s simple to roll out, easy for staff to use, and powerful enough to organize even your most complex operations.
Need help getting started? TotalCare IT will get you set up fast and train your team to use Planner with confidence.
Let’s talk about how Microsoft Planner can streamline your production, reduce mistakes, and give your team the visibility they need to succeed. Book your consultation with TotalCare IT today.